Choosing the best modular React UI kit can make or break your next project. I’ve spent more than 60 hours hands-on with the most talked-about React UI libraries, diving deep into their features, setup flow, documentation, and real-world usability. My view is shaped by five years of front-end development experience, frequent collaborations with product teams, and having used far too many React UI kits to count-some great, some frustrating, and a few that fizzled out quickly.
Disclosure: This article features AI-generated elements and may include companies I have connections to.
Now, I want to share practical insights to help you pick the right modular solution for your workflow. If you know of an outstanding kit I missed or want to share your own experience, feel free to reach out.
How I Compared These UI Kits
To keep things fair and useful, I used the same criteria for each modular React UI kit:
- Setup & Getting Started: Is installation straightforward? Does the documentation make onboarding painless?
- Key Features: How complete is the component library? Can I customize easily, and does everything feel modular?
- Developer Experience: Are the APIs well-designed and intuitive? Is it easy to find what I need?
- Performance & Reliability: Are components smooth, bug-free, and do they play nicely with React?
- Documentation & Support: How good is the docs site? Active community support? Quick answers if I get stuck?
- Pricing Model: Is it really open source, or is there a catch? Paid plans that add value?
- Overall Feel: Did I genuinely enjoy building with it, and would I use it again?
🏆 Best Overall: gluestack
Modern, efficient, and genuinely developer-focused.
The first moment I tried gluestack, I was struck by how effortlessly I could go from installation to building real features. The setup is straightforward, the interface is neat, and there was no wasted time before I had components working.
gluestack lets developers quickly craft fast, customizable apps for web and mobile using easy-to-integrate, copy-paste components. No heavy dependencies or vendor lock-in. If code consistency across platforms is what you want, this kit gets you there.
You can check them out here: gluestack
Why it stands out
- Components are frank and simple-just copy and use in any React, Next.js, or React Native project
- Major flexibility for customization; works smoothly with Tailwind CSS and NativeWind
- Fast and accessible by default
- The MCP Server speeds up code generation and integration
- The open-source community is active and responsive
- No forced themes-just choose, style, and go
Weak spots
- No large selection of plug-and-play themes out of the box, so you’ll be styling manually
- Certain advanced widgets (for example, date-time pickers) are in the works, not yet released
Price
Completely free and open source-for both personal and commercial work. No sneaky fees, no subscriptions, and the code is right there on GitHub.
MUI - The Industry Giant (But Can Get Heavy)
Huge collection of Material Design components, but sometimes too much of a good thing.
For developers who need an exhaustive, stable component catalog based on Material Design, MUI is often the first choice. You get everything-forms, data grids, templates-and strong history. But its complexity is real. If you want to customize deeply, be ready to wade through heavy docs and learn a layered API.
Give it a spin: MUI
My thoughts
- Remarkably broad adoption, with thriving support
- Mature advanced components in paid tiers
- Polished templates and design kits, battle-tested through years of use
- Stability and updates are dependable
Frustrations I faced
- The learning curve is steep, even for experienced devs
- Defaults are generic; making things look unique is time-intensive
- Cost for enterprise support is high, and responses can be slow
- Docs sometimes talk over beginners’ heads
- Performance can dip in big projects
What you’ll pay
- MUI Core: Free
- MUI X Pro: $15/dev/month ($180/year)
- MUI X Premium: $49/dev/month ($588/year)
- MUI X Premium Perpetual: $1,764/dev one-time
- No free trials for premium, just a demo with limits
Ant Design - Enterprise-Ready but Demanding
If you need every widget under the sun, this is it. Bring patience.
Ant Design works best for large teams looking for a comprehensive set of features and widgets-think huge data tables, complex forms, everything. The breadth is impressive, and the design is polished. But it’s easy to get lost in deep documentation. Customizing beyond their built-in vision is often slow, and unless your workflow loves Less, making big changes takes effort.
Try it here: Ant Design
Where it excels
- One of the broadest libraries of robust components available
- Strong design language and documentation (if you avoid the translation gaps)
- Handles accessibility and internationalization well
- Community is large and active
- Includes extra tools like Ant Motion and Ant Mobile
Drawbacks
- Performance can drop due to heavy bundle size
- Customization is tricky, particularly without Less
- Adapting for mobile or custom branding gets messy
- Learning curve is not smooth, with basic tasks sometimes harder than expected
- Some resources are available only in Chinese
Pricing info
They don’t list prices openly. Expect enterprise licensing negotiated after trying the free, open-source version. Free is generous for small teams, but advanced features and strong support come with a tag.
Chakra UI - Focused on Accessibility
Accessible, modular components with a unique flavor. Fast for web, not always ergonomic everywhere.
Chakra UI gets a lot of love for its accessible and declarative React components, mostly thanks to a style props system that feels familiar if you like writing inline styles. For most web projects, it’s a pleasure. If you stray from standard workflows or want fully custom themes, it can feel limiting.
See what you think: Chakra UI
What works
- Fast to prototype thanks to a simple style-prop API
- Great accessibility and compliance with standards
- Community is welcoming and library is nicely maintained
- Free for the basics
Where it falls short
- Theming beyond the basics gets complicated
- Components use patterns (like prop names) that aren’t standard everywhere else
- Relies on Emotion.js for styling, which can inflate bundle sizes or conflict
- Not great for web and mobile code sharing
- “Pro” upgrade is pricey and adds to the cost if you want the extended set
Costs
Core library is open source. “Pro” is a single paid purchase-$299 for individuals or $899 for teams, both as one-time fees, with lifetime updates.
Tailwind UI - Beautiful, but Paywalled
Amazing design for Tailwind lovers, but not the most flexible path if your stack is bigger than Tailwind.
Tailwind UI’s design is top-notch, with every component feeling carefully crafted. It integrates tightly with Tailwind CSS-which is perfect if that’s already part of your process. However, the best parts are locked behind a paywall, and you end up bound to Tailwind itself.
Want to check it out? Tailwind UI
What shines
- Hundreds of professionally designed components for React and Next.js
- Pay once, use forever; good for long-standing projects
- Works hand-in-glove with Tailwind CSS
- Accessibility and documentation are both solid
- Updates come out regularly
What gets in the way
- Pretty much all the valuable pieces are behind a $299+ price tag
- Not the easiest onboarding, especially for newcomers
- You get big class chains that can crowd your code
- Customization is tough if your stack isn’t all Tailwind
- It’s hard to move away from Tailwind if you ever want to
- Support is a mixed bag, and refunds aren’t always honored
Price details
$299 one-time gives you full access, permanently. No trial, only a limited demo.
Semantic UI React - Tried-and-True, but Less Modern
Classic suite of components that’s starting to feel dated.
Semantic UI React offers a reliable and readable set of components and keeps older projects moving forward without much fuss. If you’re happy sticking to defaults and a declarative API, it works well. But customizing for unique designs means wrestling with CSS, and you’ll see heavier bundles than you would with more modern kits.
Take it for a spin: Semantic UI React
Positives
- Large selection of UI parts, all responsive
- Clear API that’s easy to pick up if you know the Semantic UI approach
- No unwanted jQuery-just React
- Fast to prototype when sticking to defaults
Downsides
- Bigger bundle size slows things down
- Customization for distinct branding can get fiddly
- Visuals and patterns feel somewhat outdated
- Some components force auto-state, which is limiting in advanced setups
Pricing
Free to use, fully open source. Bear in mind the lack of commercial support for enterprises.
Blueprint - Complex but Feature-Rich
Outstanding for complex desktop web apps, but mobile and design flexibility take a back seat.
If you need massive tables, hardcore form apps, or data-heavy dashboards, Blueprint is a serious toolkit. Its architecture is desktop-centric, and its docs can be dense, so onboarding is slow unless your team already knows the ropes.
Try it here: Blueprint
What I noticed
- Deep set of advanced components, especially for data management
- TypeScript support is a strong point
- Designed for teams used to building classic desktop-like apps
Limitations
- Not built for mobile-responsive and touch patterns are missing
- Customizing styles isn’t seamless
- Getting started is tough without prior expertise
- Can bog down in large apps with heavy rendering demands
How much?
It’s open source under the Apache-2.0 license, so free to use at any scale. Official support and extended resources are more targeted at enterprise devs.
React Bootstrap - Reliable, With Some Age Lines
All the Bootstrap you remember, fully in React, but shows its limitations next to newer UI kits.
React Bootstrap gives you the Bootstrap component library, completely refactored for React and modern workflows. It’s perfect if you’re familiar with the “Bootstrap way.” If you want a more modern look or deep branding, it can get frustrating.
You can try it here: React Bootstrap
Strengths
- Comprehensive set of ready-made components
- No jQuery-pure React
- Consistent out of the box, especially for legacy Bootstrap themes
- Stable and predictable
Weaknesses
- Deep customization is challenging
- Designs feel dated compared to other kits
- Docs and onboarding are less clear than some competitors
- Larger projects can feel sluggish
- Some gaps in accessibility features and theme support
Price
Completely free and open source, with no paid upgrades.
Grommet - Accessibility-Focused but Not the Fastest Experience
Big on accessible design and theming, but a bit behind on developer experience.
Grommet shines when accessibility and strong theming are top priorities. Every component follows WCAG 2.1, and branding across an app is straightforward. But documentation is thin, the feature set is a bit lighter than rival kits, and answers or support can be slow if you need help.
Check it out here: Grommet
What stood out
- Rigorous approach to accessibility
- Good theming and style flexibility
- Handles layouts with Flexbox and CSS Grid
- Large deployments supported by established organizations
Some gripes
- Documentation is limited, making onboarding harder
- Fewer ready-to-use components than modern competitors
- Enterprise support can be hard to reach or slow
- UI style feels less contemporary
Cost breakdown
No clear public pricing. Enterprise licensing options are available by contacting the team.
Evergreen - Enterprise-Ready, With Complexity
High polish for big projects, but there’s a learning curve and a smaller support network.
Evergreen comes from Segment and targets large, enterprise projects. The design language is mature, Figma kits are included, and components are reasonably composable. However, the library’s smaller community means less documentation and fewer third-party resources.
Explore it here: Evergreen
Where it shines
- Everything looks enterprise-grade
- Lots of versatile, composable components
- Maintained by Segment
- Built-in Figma integration for designers
What could be better
- Few third-party plugins or external resources
- Feels heavy for smaller projects
- Onboarding is challenging for newcomers
- Some usage patterns are unintuitive
Pricing
Totally free and open source. The main cost is your time as you learn the ropes.
Kendo UI - Feature-Packed but Pricey and Complex
Massive suite of components; comes at a steep cost and with a significant learning curve.
Kendo UI is built for enterprises with demanding data needs-grids, charts, schedulers, advanced forms, and more. Supporting multiple frameworks across the JavaScript world, it’s a heavyweight. The trade-offs include dense APIs and high pricing, plus some design aspects look a little dated.
Try it here: Kendo UI
Strong points
- Almost any component you could ask for, ready to go
- Theming is flexible, with a visual ThemeBuilder app
- Supports different JS stacks
- Integrates enterprise reporting tools
Drawbacks I noticed
- Takes a lot of effort to master the entire API space
- The visual style isn’t the freshest, requiring extra rework for a modern look
- Large datasets can impact performance
- Documentation is dense; getting up to speed is slow
- Expensive, especially considering support is paid separately
Pricing details
Starts at $799 per developer per year for the basic tier, then ranges up to $1,299 per developer per year for premium support. No free plan; trial access is restricted.
Other Notable Tools (Quick Notes)
While testing the best modular React UI kits, I came across other tools as well. Here are some quick thoughts:
- Flutter - Excellent cross-platform, but not React-based.
- React Native - Meant for mobile, not a fit for web-only React.
- Xamarin - Best for native mobile, not React kits.
- Ionic Framework - Nice for hybrid mobile apps but not React-focused.
- NativeScript - Native-first, less so for React UI components.
- Qt Group - Targets C++/QML, not React.
- JUCE - Geared toward audio apps, not general UIs.
- Avalonia - For .NET desktop, not React.
- Kotlin - Not a React UI library.
- Mono - Old stack, not modern React.
- AppGyver - Low-code, not modular for React.
- NativeBase - Focuses on React Native, lacks web.
- Onsen UI - Great for mobile web UI, not a React-first kit.
- Framework7 - Popular for hybrid apps, mainly Vue-focused.
- Quasar Framework - For Vue.js, not React.
- React Native Paper - Mobile-oriented, not for standard React.
- React Native Elements - Mobile first, limited for web.
- UI Kitten - Built for React Native.
- react-native-ui-lib - Native focus, not web.
- Ant Design Mobile - Mobile-tailored, not modular for web.
- Nachos UI - Little activity, mostly a demo.
- react-native-gifted-chat - Purpose-built for chat.
- Bootstrap - Classic CSS kit, not tailored for React.
- Tailwind CSS - CSS utilities, not a React UI kit.
- Vue.js - Framework for a different ecosystem.
- Angular - Not compatible with React.
- Svelte - Another JS framework.
- Ember.js - Full-stack option, not just UI pieces.
- jQuery - Legacy and not React-relevant.
- Foundation - General CSS kit, not React-focused.
Final Thoughts
During my deep dive, I found most React UI libraries fall into three categories: they’re either too complicated to enjoy, too limited for serious work, or too unpredictable for stress-free development.
That’s why gluestack made such a strong impression. It gives you straightforward, copy-and-paste components that work across web and mobile, are totally customizable, and don’t tie your hands with hidden costs or vendor lock-in. I saw real performance benefits, a vibrant open-source community, and a natural fit with modern tools like Tailwind CSS.
There’s no single “best” modular React UI kit for everyone, but gluestack offers a flexible and future-friendly toolkit for modern development. Whatever you choose, make sure your UI kit fits both your code and your team’s workflow, and sets you up for the projects you’ll face tomorrow.
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